Travels

Weekend at New Paltz, NY, and Mohonk Mountain House

30 January 2018 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

New Paltz, NY, is a picturesque village in Ulster County (Hudson Valley region), just under an hour’s drive from NYC. We spent the weekend at a farmhouse before moving on to the hotel where I was attending a work meeting for three days.

Fire pit at the Robibero Family Vineyards. They have board games inside that entertained the kids while we did an extensive tasting. It’s an expansive outdoor setting with picnic benches and tables on a huge balcony overlooking the vineyards. Staff were so great with the kids and gave them pizza baked in the outdoor oven.

We caught the Chili Challenge again this year at the Water Street Market

The Mohonk Preserve Foothills Gatehouse. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

This is the second year I attended a meeting held at Mohonk Mountain House, in the Mohonk Preserve that’s set in the Shawangunk Mountains. It’s the dead of winter, with very few activities and most of the trails closed due to ice. But it’s such an isolated, idyllic environment that the winter solace makes it so peaceful, notwithstanding the creepy “institution” vibe the setting gives!

Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

The trails were closed but you can sneak on to them. This cove was from the trails outside the newer end of the buildings. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

View from the Conference Rooms and main house

View from the Parlor where afternoon tea is served by the fireplaces

Meeting attendees had a spare 20 minutes to test out the skating rink

The pool was almost always empty. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

On the weekend before we went to Mohonk, we stayed nearby in a farmhouse that we found through AirBnB. We had a lovely host at her fantastic historic farmhouse and barn, where the kids got to feed the chickens and observe some wildlife. I’m a fan of the hosting platform now!

Travel: Hauling a 2- and 4-year old through 6 countries in 8 weeks

29 July 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

As we were leaving the region to move back home, I did a consultancy that took me to several capital cities to review national health programs. It was a great opportunity for all of us to say goodbye to friends, colleagues and places we’ve frequented over the past decade. So we packed up the house and shipped, sold or gave away our belongings, and took the kids on a two month journey through Southeast Asia. [Read more…] about Travel: Hauling a 2- and 4-year old through 6 countries in 8 weeks

Project: Educate a girl and you educate a family

13 July 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

My old Khmer language tutor, Mdm Soun Neang, has a generous heart. In her youth during Cambodia’s darkest years under the Khmer Rouge regime, she taught languages secretly to children, at great personal risk. Today, she supports girls in her hometown in rural Kampong Thom go to school, where the opportunity costs of educating a girl is too high for poor families (who send their sons instead). This is despite significant evidence that educating a girl has a powerful impact on the future of her family. [Read more…] about Project: Educate a girl and you educate a family

Where apsaras dance .. updated

9 February 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 2 Comments

The origins and symbolism of Khmer weddings, according to the Khmer Institute:

Khmer weddings enact Cambodia’s greatest legend. The first Khmer prince, Preah Thong, fell in love with the Naga Princess, Neang Neak, while exiled from his homeland. As a marriage gift to the couple, the father of the Naga Princess swallowed part of the ocean, and out of this was formed the land of Cambodia.

Desperately seeking peace and quiet in Kampot

26 January 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

It was a long-overdue trip to escape the ambient noise of Phnom Penh rapidly industrializing. Check out this house!

Our friends moved back to Kampot from the US and built this house. It’s a modernized version of the traditional house, complete with the stilts and architectural elements that make this country so unique (even to the very closely related Thai constructions). [Read more…] about Desperately seeking peace and quiet in Kampot